Pommes Anna for Garnishing

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8 metal Dariole-moulds or Baba-moulds, each 2½ to 3 fl oz (75 to 90 ml)
• •Mandoline with hand guard
• •Nested round cutters sized to the moulds
• •Small deep metal roasting tin that holds the moulds snugly
• •Deep saucepan and heatproof pouring jug
• •Instant-read or frying thermometer
• •Locking tongs
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare oven and moulds

   Heat the oven to 475°F (245°C), conventional, with a rack in the lower-middle position. Choose the smallest deep metal roasting tin that holds eight 2½ to 3 fl oz (75 to 90 ml) Dariole-moulds or Baba-moulds upright, leaving narrow channels for the fat. Coat the bases and sides of every mould generously with the softened butter. Missed patches become sticking points, so turn each mould under the light and check it before filling.

2. 2

   Cut exact roundels

   Slice the potatoes crosswise into roundels exactly 1⁄16 inch (1.5 mm) thick, working one potato at a time so the cut surfaces don't darken. Do not rinse them; the surface starch is what binds the finished stacks. Cut the slices into circles matching the moulds. If the moulds flare, use two or three cutter sizes and graduate the rounds from the narrower base to the wider rim. Reserve eight unbroken, handsome rounds for the bases, which become the visible crowns after turning.

   Use the mandoline's hand guard and stop before the potato becomes too small to hold safely. Finish the last piece with a knife or save it with the trimmings.
3. 3

   Build the stacks

   Mix the salt and white pepper in a small bowl. Lay one reserved round flat in each buttered base, then stack the remaining potato circles one upon another, seasoning with a tiny pinch after every three or four layers. Press down firmly as you work so no large air gaps remain, and finish about ⅛ inch (3 mm) below each rim. The close stack, not extra fat between the slices, makes the compact, tender interior prescribed by this method.

4. 4

   Set the hot-fat bath

   Heat the refined oil in a deep saucepan to 375°F (190°C), when it is fluid and shimmering but not smoking. Arrange the filled moulds in the roasting tin, then place the tin on the fully extended oven rack so you won't carry an open bath of hot fat across the kitchen. Pour the oil slowly between the moulds until it reaches halfway up their sides, keeping it out of the potatoes, then slide the rack in gently. This external bath is the brigade's standing tray of fat reduced to a home quantity; it provides swift, even heat through the metal without changing the flavour.

   The tin, moulds, jug, and tools must be completely dry because water spits violently in hot fat. Wear oven gloves and long sleeves, and leave the bath in place until it has cooled completely.
5. 5

   Bake twenty-five minutes

   Bake for 25 minutes in the very hot oven. Test the centre of one stack with a thin skewer; it should pass from top to bottom without raw resistance, while the buttered edges should be deep gold. If the centre still feels firm, continue for 5 minutes. If the edges are already dark, lower the oven to 425°F (220°C) for that final interval. Ça se rattrape: tenderness matters more than obedience to a temperamental oven.

6. 6

   Drain and hold

   Set a wire rack over a rimmed tray beside the oven. Using locking tongs, lift each mould straight from the bath, let the exterior drain over the tin, then stand it upright on the rack for 2 minutes. Keep the potatoes in their moulds until the rest of the meal is ready. Do not carry, strain, or pour the bath while it is hot.

7. 7

   Turn out at service

   Just before serving, wipe each mould's exterior dry. Place a warmed plate or platter over it, invert decisively, and lift the mould straight upward. If a stack clings, don't pry at its sides. Return it upright, loosen only the rim with a thin knife, warm it in the oven for 2 minutes, and turn again. If a few rounds slip, restack them in the mould, press firmly, and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve at once while the crowns are bronzed and the butter still gleams. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Tinned copper conducts the hot bath beautifully, but it isn't required. Thin aluminum or stainless-steel Dariole-moulds or Baba-moulds are the honest home equivalent. Thick ceramic ramekins heat too slowly and don't give the same clean, bronzed sides.
• •Choose firm golden potatoes of similar width. Very floury potatoes can crumble during unmoulding, while waxy salad potatoes may remain stubbornly separate. Don't rinse the slices because their natural starch is the quiet glue holding each tower together.
• •The oil sits outside the moulds and serves only as a heat-transfer bath. Once completely cold, strain it through a fine sieve and keep it in a sealed container for another frying job. Butter belongs inside the moulds, where it browns against the potato.
• •Save every potato trimming. Simmer the pieces for soup or mash rather than trying to hide them inside these stacks, where irregular shapes leave gaps and spoil the turn.
• •Serve two per person beside roast duck, lamb, beef, or a well-browned chicken. Choose the wine for the roast; Pommes Anna makes no demands except enough jus nearby to catch with a fork.

Advance Preparation

• •Butter the moulds, mix the seasoning, choose the cutters, and measure the bath oil earlier in the day. Keep every piece of equipment completely dry.
• •The potatoes may be peeled up to 4 hours ahead and held whole in cold water. Dry them thoroughly before slicing, then assemble within 30 minutes. Once cut, don't soak the roundels because washing away their starch weakens the stacks.
• •For calm dinner-party timing, fill the moulds up to 30 minutes ahead, cover them, and bake while the roast rests. Leave the cooked potatoes upright in their moulds for no more than 10 minutes, then turn them out only as the plates go to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)